Buckley champions base process improvement

Col. Matthew Hanson, 460th Medical Group commander, discusses Airmen and their families during a Champions meeting Nov. 22, 2016, at the Panther Den on Buckley Air Force Base, Colo. The 460th SW Champions aim to improve all aspects of living and working on Buckley AFB for every level. They will meet bi-monthly with the wing commander to make sure the goals and improvements that have been set are being met.(U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Gabrielle Spradling/Released)

Team Buckley leadership has started a new initiative, called the Champions Program, which aims to overhaul the base’s processes through community feedback.

“Back in September the wing commander held an offsite comprised of the wing's senior leaders to refine the wing's strategic intent,” said Chief Master Sgt. Jackson Helzer, 460th Mission Support Group chief enlisted manager. “During the offsite we developed a revamped mission and vision statement that we all believed encapsulated what we do here at Buckley AFB. Further, the group developed three priorities on how we were going to execute the mission and vision.”

The priorities include: Mission Excellence, Airmen and their Families, and Installation Readiness, with the Champions split into groups based upon these priorities.

“The priorities are the focus areas, but the individual groups will come up with their own objectives on how they will execute and measure their efforts,” said Helzer.

Not only will the Champions work within their priority groups, but they will also work collectively to make sure avenues are covered. The Champions will also utilize other organizations on Buckley AFB, such as the Key Spouses, to enhance not only the way of life on base, but also ensure mission improvements.

“We need to look at things that are important to our Airmen and their development, what’s important to their families, such as family programs on base, and to make Buckley an installation that’s focused on taking care of Airmen,” said Col. Romberger, the vice commander.

The 460th SW Champions aim to improve all aspects of living and working on Buckley AFB at every level.

“Everything starts at the top. We can’t ask our Airmen and their spouses to do what we aren’t willing to do,” said Chief Lindsey. “If my wife is not engaged then why would I expect my Airmen’s wives to be engaged?”

The Champions as a whole will meet bi-monthly with the wing commander to make sure the goals and improvements that have been set are being met.

“The Champions are a strategic roadmap of what we do and how we're going to get after it,” said Helzer. “It helps define what each one of us does here in the 460th Space Wing, because it really takes every one of us to execute this critical mission.”